If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Basically, being a balloon leader is a mark of respect and acknowledgement. My post was not really about BLs or whether they should be the default PLs. I'd actually say BLs should perhaps be the ones with the privilege of turning down being PL because they've done it before and we should avoid anyone feeling that playing PS2 is a regular chore. Also we have many people who have never PL'd. I'd really like to see more people trying to PL. If someone is over rank 20 then they've probably got enough of a clue how the game works to give meaningful orders. With mentoring they could probably also be good orders and given quite quickly.

I know what you are referring to Wally and I completely agree. It's not so much about not wanting to lead, but I think the attitude as to how it was said. No one should be forced to lead. The majority of balloon leaders are balloon leaders because they regularly lead, not the other way around. Others have been given the title due to other outfit leadership goodness.

If the outfit relied solely on balloon leaders to lead they would burn out very quickly and the outfit would be left without people who organise events and other things that the whole outfit enjoy. Imagine no Cmaster, Cooper or Ksempac, as 3 examples (I could list more but this isnt a name drop), things would be a whole lot more difficult.

Therefore I ask that if the PL asks for a replacement, please everyone do their best to step up. You don't need to get quite as involved as some of our BL's who enjoy that kind of thing, just out a waypoint somewhere. Trust me, so long as people have something to shoot at, they will be happy.

If being a Balloon Leader means that I have to lead a platoon when asked, then I immediately resign the position, and the outfit if I'm not allowed to step back down again.

Yes, I can do the job. Often I like it. Sometimes I even do it well. BUt sometimes I come on wanting to shoot things. Sometimes I'm tired and will give bad orders, or be absent. I simply can't just do the job on someone elses demand (especially if I've say, had a bad day at work).

If you are a Balloon Leader you should always be able to take PL if needed (even if it wasn't your plan to begin with). I thought that was the point of the rank?

The point of the rank is more to acknowledge people that have done the job and have been thought of as doing a good enough job at it.

Ive only done it a few times myself, and I was voted into the position quite a long time back. I dont consider myself as experienced as others, so I would always rather the 'better' people did the job, or at least the people who enjoy it more.

Also, I think we should definitely be promoting that people give it a try.

Also, im with CMaster here.. If BLs were to be forced into it, it kind of loses its appeal. The compromise with having a rank system at all was that it was going to be fairly laid back and not regimented at all, hence why we allow all ranks to be easily achievable to all people.. We dont want there to be any kind of meaningful divide.

This is why I keep arguing that the requirements for BL should not change. A couple of people have suggested that if we keep it as is it will become a bit of a mess, but I think it works out just fine, and promotes the right atmosphere.

Apologies if I was misinterpreted, I did not mean that Balloon Leaders are the only ones that can PL (I PL all the time and I'm not one). I simply was under the impression that if you were a Balloon Leader it meant you should be stepping in when the people playing were left leaderless. That was obviously a false assumption, garnered most likely from the fact that most Balloon Leaders I know holding the rank usually end up doing this anyway